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The Shinto: Religion Vs. Other Religions

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The Shinto
The Kami or the spirits of the land have been worshiped for thousands of years by the Shinto. This community based religion worships highly localized Kami. Kami loosely translates to spirits in english. “The name Shinto comes from the Chinese characters for Shen (‘divine being’), and Tao (‘way’) and means ‘the way of the spirit.”(BBC) Unlike other religions the Shinto don't entirely believe in just one overarching God or even Gods they believe in the spirits, or Kami. Some of the key distinctions between Kami and Gods are that no Kami is a divine being nor are any omnipotent, Kami are not perfect unlike gods Kami do make mistakes, Kami aren't that different from humans they’re just a higher being, there and good and evil Kami, and lastly Kami aren't some untouchable godly being they don't exist in a supernatural world they reside in an extension of our world. …show more content…

It has become the less of a religion which has allowed Shinto to peacefully coexist with many other religions such as Buddhism and Christianity. Like what was said in the first paragraph the Shinto usually worship a local shrine or Kami associated with their area or beliefs rather than and bigger religion wide set of Kami. “many Japanese don't think that they are practicing Shinto nor are followers of the Shinto religion, even though what they do is what constitutes actual Shinto”(BBC) because it has so strongly affected their

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